When materials fail at scale: Compatibility risks in cultured meat and seafood manufacturing

Future Foods, vol. 14, pp. 101213

Abstract

The transition of cultured meat and seafood technologies from laboratory research to commercial production depends on biological performance and the robustness, safety, and sustainability of the underlying manufacturing infrastructure. When scaling-up, choices regarding material selection, component compatibility, and interface design can significantly influence process reliability, contamination risk, and environmental impact. Nevertheless, compatibility-related failures, which often emerge only at pilot or industrial scales, are not well understood, potentially leading to over-engineering of some process steps while critical control points elsewhere go unaddressed. This work examines compatibility challenges across key subsystems of cultured meat and seafood production, including bioreactors, fluid handling systems, filtration units, and ancillary components. Adopting a risk-based engineering perspective, we discuss how materials change under process operating conditions over prolonged periods and how this can lead to failures affecting process performance and food safety. Moreover, trade-offs between single-use and multi-use technologies are discussed in the context of operational practicality and sustainability. By focusing on compatibility as a system-level engineering consideration, this work provides practical insights for technology developers, entrepreneurs and researchers aiming to accelerate safe and sustainable deployment of cultured meat and seafood manufacturing platforms.

Authors 14

1. Jernej Vajda

   University of Maribor

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Taborska ulica 8, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia

2. Tomaž Martini

   University of Maribor

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Taborska ulica 8, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia

3. Mirjam Capuder

   University of Maribor

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Taborska ulica 8, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia

4. Zdenka Peršin Fratnik

   University of Maribor

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Taborska ulica 8, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia

5. Uroš Maver

   University of Maribor

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Taborska ulica 8, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia

6. Jordi Morales-Dalmau

   Bundeswehr · Whitecliffe University of Applied Sciences

   Affiliation as printed

   Cultimate Foods GmbH, Berlin/Hannover, Germany

7. Maria Gomes Fernandes
   Affiliation as printed

   New Harvest Netherlands, 1052 Amsterdam, The Netherlands

8. Kuo‐Hui Chiu

   Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology

   Affiliation as printed

   Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, 52074 Aachen, Germany

9. Che Julius Ngwa

   Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology

   Affiliation as printed

   Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, 52074 Aachen, Germany

10. Stefan Schillberg Aachen Institute for Molecular Biotechnology

    Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology · RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, 52074 Aachen, Germany

    Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany

11. Carlos A. V. Rodrigues

    University of Lisbon · Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering · Instituto Superior Técnico · Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences

    Affiliation as printed

    iBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001, Lisbon, Portugal

12. Katharina Julia Brenner

    Technical University of Munich

    Affiliation as printed

    Cellular Agriculture, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany

13. Marius Henkel

    Technical University of Munich

    Affiliation as printed

    Cellular Agriculture, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany

14. Boštjan Vihar corresponding

    University of Maribor

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Taborska ulica 8, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia